Vaccinations-Thailand/Laos/Vietnam
 

My trip is in about 2 weeks, and since my doc said that I'm ok without any shots, I (stupidly) just took her advice. Now, in doing a bunch of research, I'm getting so worried! Any suggestions as to what's imperative in my short time crunch?

Please help!

If you can get a cholera oral vaccination, mine is Vivotef, it's a week-long course and is effective one week later. You may also want to get your first Hepatitis A immunization, which may offer some protection.

Take a look at www.cdc.gov/travel

Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date: diptheria/tetanus, measles/mumps/rubella.

Hep A is important. You don't have time to get both shots, but you can get one which gives you some protection (just make sure you follow up and get the second shot which confers at least twenty years protection), Typhoid is another important one as it is also food and water bourne. You can get a single injection which is effective for 2 years or you can take the oral vaccine which is good for four or five years. Vivotef is one brand of oral typhoid vaccine (Timand Liz are in error above).

Those are the most important vacines.

If you are headed to Laos, you will almost certainly be in a mmalarial risk area. Small parts of Thailand and some of VN is also malarial risk.

If you are in the US, some county health departments offer such vaccines and will prescribe anti-malarials. Otherwise look for a travel med clinic affiliated with a medical school.

Make sure you've read the cdc info thoroughly so you know what questions to ask.

Thanks for correcting my error, Kathie! Sorry Me1!
Liz

Me1
There are some of us who have never had vaccinations or shots of any kind to travel to Thailand. I have strange food allergies and reactions to some types of meds, so I don't take shots. I know that there are many who never leave home without them... it IS, after all, YOUR choice to make. I'm just advising you that NOT EVERYONE has innoculations prior to traveling to Thailand. I'm not saying to do or not to do, in your own case.

the most recommended ones if you're only staying in major tourist areas are Hep A and B, up-to-date Tetanus, and Typhoid (a shot or a pill that's actually cheaper and lasts longer)

Thank you all so much! I plan to speak with my doc. today and hope to get the first shot of Hep A and the Typhoid pill. I also have a prescription for Doxycycline, which I'm to take one week in advance--for malaria, I believe.

Any recommendations on taking an antibiotic with me?

Thanks again!

Our travel clinic doctor gave us prescriptions for Zithromax (Azithromycin 500 mg) and Cipro to take along. She highly recommended 3M, Ultrathon (33% Deet) insect repellent. The guys at REI also highly recommended this brand. It is time released and the cream (not the spray) is waterproof - lasting 12 hours. Other recommendations were hand santitizers, SPF 45 sunscreen, and imodium AD.

Note that the doxycycline must be taken beginning two days before entering the malarial risk area, and for ONE MONTH after leaving the malarial risk area. It should be taken at trhe same time every day.

Cipro is no longer considered a good antibiotic to take to mainland SE Asia, as ther is so much bacterial resistance to it. Ask your doctor for one in a different class of antibiotics.

While I do always carry an antibiotic with me, I've never had to use it in 20 some trips to SE Asia.

<i>&quot;Cipro is no longer considered a good antibiotic to take to mainland SE Asia, as ther is so much bacterial resistance to it. Ask your doctor for one in a different class of antibiotics.</i>

What do you take along, Kathie, instead of Cipro?

The antibiotic I'm taking along this year is Levaquin.

The data about bacterial resistance to Cipro In SE Asia is fairly new. Cipro is still the antibiotic of choice for many areas of the world.

You guys are so helpful! Thanks again. I got hep A today and am going to get Vivotef (Typhoid) and Zithromax. Also have Doxycycline (Malaria) and will be sure to take that one week ahead of time.

Again, you area all so helpful. Thank you!

PS: if anyone has taken the typhoid drugs (Vivotef), did you get really sick after taking it? A friend of mine apparently did.

Thanks.

I've taken the oral typhoid vaccine twice and never had any significant side effects. I remember the first time my stomach was a bit upset initially.

When you say your friend &quot;got really sick&quot; what do you mean?

She actually threw up, and since this drug is taken a week ahead, I was just curious as to how sick others may have felt right before their travels!

Thanks!

Vivotif, an oral typhoid vaccine course must be completed at least 10 days ahead of your trip. If someone was sick enough to throw up, it means they did not get that dose and would have to replace the dose. This is a live attenuated vaccine that is taken in four doses every other day. One should take it with a full glass of a cold or lukewarm drink, about one hour before a meal.

have also waited until last minute on shots.
got all the required ones last oct including hep a. should of had booster 6 months later but did not. leaving next wed for bangkok.
any thoughts about the booster.

Check with your doctor about whether to take a Hep A booster or whether to start the series over again. Hep A is a vaccine you should have even if you are staying at home!

A note on Cipro: Erica added to another thread that there is bacterial resistance to Cipro in Indonesia as well. So that would suggest that Cipro is not the drug to take along for all of SE Asia, mainland and islands.

Check with your doctor about whether to take a Hep A booster or whether to start the series over again. Hep A is a vaccine you should have even if you are staying at home! PS - get the shot as soon as possible, as it takes some time for immunity to develop.

A note on Cipro: Erica added to another thread that there is bacterial resistance to Cipro in Indonesia as well. So that would suggest that Cipro is not the drug to take along for all of SE Asia, mainland and islands.